Perpendicular
by Mslead
Summary: Jobs in the snow were never fun, so Levy really should have known better. But when she gets separated from her teammates, she unknowingly stumbles across a dragon's nest. It's then she realizes, not all stories have an ending she can expect. GAJEVY. Pre-Parallels
1. Hello

**_So this is our prologue to Parallels! There isn't a whole lot that crosses over so it's not necessary to read both! But Kytrin and I hope you enjoy it! We had a lot of fun writing it!_**

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 ** _Perpendicular_**

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Levy was going to skin her teammates. That was all there was to it. If they hadn't been screwing around trying to 'prove themselves' to her, presumably so she would fall for them or something. As much as she loved them they drove her nuts when they did that. She just didn't see them that way, and never had.

Unfortunately, despite not encouraging them in any way, the two blockheads couldn't seem to get that through their thick skulls, and had seized a chance to try and impress her by tackling a monster too strong for them.

Which... led to her current predicament.

Not only had Jet and Droy been hopelessly outmatched, but she'd gotten hit and thrown into the woods and straight into a whole nest of the creatures. A nest that had way too happy to see her.

Vulcans. Mouth breathing, perverted monkeys.

Which had, of course, led to her having to fight them off, but getting separated from the others and seriously lost in the process.

She pushed a tree branch out of the way, hoping to find a landmark or something to help her get back, only to yelp and glare balefully at the tree when the branch swung back to smack her on the back and dislodge what had to be every droplet of water it had collected in its life. All over her shirt.

"Man... what I wouldn't give for a cave or somewhere dry at least." She groaned as she kept trudging along.

She could keep herself reasonably cozy if she could at least find a place to hole up. A little wood and some fire and she would be in much better shape. Food was a problem, but hopefully she would be able to orient herself soon and get back to civilization of some kind before it became a big one.

For now she would count her blessings if she found water and shelter.

Well to be fair, she was not in short supply of water since there was snow everywhere.

She shuddered, arms wrapping around herself as she edged along a frozen river, peering over to the other side. How weird...

This side of the river, while covered in snow and isolation, at least had lush vegetation. The other side only had trees around the riverbank. The rest of the earth looked scorched and beaten down.

A shiver ran up her spine as her geographical knowledge kicked in.

 _The Badlands._

Just how far had she separated from Jet and Droy?

At least she was lucky not to have ended up on _that_ side of the river. It was said a nest of vicious dragons lived there, only finding pleasure in devouring humans. Especially those who knew magic.

But still, she couldn't quite place where she was on this side... The North wasn't well mapped out.

Huddling down close to herself, Levy stumbled through the thicker drifts of snow. Thanks to her height, some of the drifts came up to her waist, freezing her toes and calves.

At this rate, magic or not, she was surely going to become a human shaped popsicle.

So it was with great relief as she stumbled on, finding herself at the opening of a cave, cut out in a thick mountain side.

She was saved!

Levy rushed into the cave, finding new strength in her legs. The temperature was dropping rapidly, and Levy was certain soon a blizzard would be rolling in.

So she ducked inside, not seeing anything at first while her eyes adjusted to the pitch black interior.

But as soon as they did, she was greeted with an odd sight.

 _"Fire."_ Levy whispered, drawing out the letters in front of her for both their warmth and light.

Casting light over only a narrow portion of the cave, Levy realized there was something fascinating about this place.

There was comfortable bedding pushed in a corner of the cave. There was a trickle of fresh water running into a collection of clay pots.

Across from which there was a pile of dried wood and what looked to be a makeshift smoke shed for meat.

"Well this is a first." A low voice rumbled behind her, and she spun around to find herself staring wide-eyed at a wild looking mountain of a man.

He flashed her a toothy smirk, seemingly amused by her reaction, "Gihi! Did I scare ya short stuff?" He leaned forward a bit, peering closely at her, "What's the matter? Cat got yer tongue?"

Levy blinked at that and gave him an irritated look, "My tongue is fine!" She huffed, "And I'm not that short!

Gajeel snorted disbelievingly and smirked at her, "Smart tongue you got in that mouth shrimp." He retorted, "Especially for someone invadin' my home."

Levy blinked in surprise, a little thrown by that, "Your home?"

Gajeel raised an eyebrow, "Ain't it obvious?"

Levy supposed he had a point. This was clearly a well tended home. The fact that it was in a cave didn't really make it any less of one, except maybe for the problems with closing the entrance. But there were probably ways of doing that too. And at least here he wouldn't have to worry about the roof collapsing during a blizzard.

She blushed a bit, "Sorry. I got separated from my friends and got lost. I was looking for shelter, and..."

Gajeel's eyes widened fractionally at that. That was why she was here? Did she not realize whose territory she was in? He studied her for a moment. No. He didn't think she did.

How very... interesting.

He'd approached her in human form just because he'd already been in this form and hadn't been assed to change into his larger one so close to dinner time. Especially with a storm coming.

He hadn't expected to stumble across a human that was clearly completely lost. It kind of brought him up short. He wasn't exactly easy to get to.

And he knew very well what would happen if he sent her back out into that mess. Something he wasn't willing to do. He might be a bastard, but he wasn't that kind of bastard at least.

So he sighed gustily, "Fine runt. You can stay til the storm clears." He nudged her towards the fire pit, "See if you can make a fire or somethin'. I'm gonna close up the entrance."

He turned and stomped towards the mouth of the cave where Levy could now see he'd rigged some kind of metal device that, when lowered, sealed the cave mouth perfectly, but still allowed fresh air in and a smoke hole to get out.

It was pretty impressive actually.

She lit a fire with her magic while he was distracted, trying to keep it to a minimum.

Mages weren't exactly common, and while there weren't witch hunts anymore, Levy wasn't too eager to show it off to a total stranger.

Much less one that lived alone in a mountain in the middle of nowhere.

She patted her hands off, using the kindling he had to stoke the fire into a hearty warmth while he worked.

Levy swallowed thickly as she watched him move, one arm dropping over the other as he yanked on a heavy chain. It dragged the gate down with a deafening screech, one that vibrated against the walls of the cave.

Until they were sealed in together.

Levy couldn't help but notice the curve of his face. Despite how wild he looked, the man was certainly attractive.

It was almost odd, with thick, long hair that hung down his back and intimidating metal studs buried into his skin.

Seriously, who was crazy enough to pierce their _face_ like that?

But the look worked well on him. He was a fierce looking man to be certain. However he also seemed awkward and kind, so Levy found herself relaxing despite his grumpiness.

"My name is Levy," She said once he finished, catching his attention, "What's yours?"

Gajeel blinked, a little surprised she wanted to know, before belatedly remembering she didn't know who he was on sight. As far as she was concerned he was a normal human living in the wilderness.

It was kind of a novel and attractive thought.

"Gajeel." He grunted as he clumped over to the supplies and dug a few things out to make soup with. He wasn't sure how long the blizzard would last, having had to sit some out for a week or two in the past, but at least they weren't in danger of running out of supplies.

He joined her at the fire, privately impressed at how quickly she'd gotten one going, and sat down, "Name's Gajeel Redfox." He handed her some vegetables to slice, "What were you doin' out here anyway?" He asked, curious despite himself.

It was the first time in a long time he'd had company other than the few humans he traded ore or skins with in the local villages for supplies and maybe a night of drinking.

Though Levy looked about as suited to that kind of lifestyle as a hothouse flower with as delicate as she looked.

It made him wonder just how she'd managed to get out this far and then slog her way through the snow to his lair.

That wasn't exactly an easy climb even for the locals.

"I was traveling with some friends and they got into a measuring contest to see who could try and beat one of the Vulcans on the mountain," She sighed, taking the vegetables and setting to her task without comment.

"I fell and landed close to the river, but not without a number of bruises," Levy admitted to him, watching as he set up a pot of water over the fire to start boiling it.

"What about you?" She returned the question without batting an eye, "What makes a man like you live all by yourself in the mountains?"

"The quiet ain't bad," Gajeel grunted back at her, a crooked grin decorating his studded face, "But it makes life interestin' when I get a gate crasher."

Levy huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and huddling in closer to the fire, dropping the cut sprouts into the pot, "Well you didn't have to house me!"

Snorting out a laugh and an incredulous look, Gajeel just rolled his eyes, "Oh yeah? And what were ya gonna do when night fell shrimp? Trust me, ya don't wanna walk around alone around these parts at night."

"You're so small, a hawk might've picked you up and carried you off to its nest!" He snorted out a laugh.

"Would not!" Levy protested, "I'm not as helpless as you think, but I am grateful for you putting me up."

"Even if you're teasing me," She pouted.

"Gihi!" Gajeel cackled, "Teasin' a gatecrasher's half the fun." He replied with a toothy smirk and eyed her up and down, "There's a bathin' area in the back. Hot spring." He grunted, nodding towards a smaller opening further back, "There's warmer clothes there too. You're gonna turn into a popsicle without somethin' else on."

He huffed a little at her startled look and nudged her, "You gonna go or what?" He growled, "Food ain't gonna be ready for a while anyway."

Levy snapped out of her shock, hardly able to believe that he was willing to share such things with her. She'd hardly expected more than shelter and maybe a warm place to curl up. But here he was feeding her and allowing her access to a hot bath and warmer clothes!

She smiled at him as she got up. He really did have a heart of gold. Despite the impatient scowl on his face.

It was cute.

"Thank you." She replied gratefully and headed off, feeling his eyes watching her the whole time.

She supposed, distantly, that she should be concerned that he was a pervert or was going to demand certain things from her for his hospitality. But except for keeping his eyes firmly on her, which could've been anything from natural wariness to desire, he made no move to do anything except mind their dinner.

It was, honestly, a nice change.

What Levy didn't expect was for her stay to be prolonged.

-::-

The next day, when Levy had thanked Gajeel for his kindness and moved to the exit, they had both been shocked to find the metal door had been iced over.

With some adjusting and clever spying through the air holes, Gajeel had declared at least three feet of snow had piled up in front of the door, while the howling winds had only stopped for the moment.

"Looks like you're stuck here for longer than we first thought," Gajeel grunted as he dropped back down to the earth, his bare feet impacting on the ground.

Levy winced, but it seemed like he was unaffected by the impact.

In fact he just looked a little annoyed that he would also be stuck in the cave for an extended period of time.

"We've got plenty of food to last us, so we might as well make ourselves comfortable," Gajeel muttered, throwing a heavy pelt of fur around his shoulders for warmth.

His eyes dragged over Levy for a moment and he shrugged his shoulders.

He hadn't expected for her to be here that long. But what could he do? Send her into the storm? She'd die in a second.

And while it was true, he had no real love for humans, he couldn't just kill her on that alone. Gajeel wasn't like that twisted Salamander down south.

The north was bitter and friendless. There was no reason to make it a harder life than it already was by making enemies.

Levy blinked in surprise at the gruff proclamation, but smiled gratefully at him all the same, "Thank you Gajeel." She replied, aware that he didn't _have_ to keep giving her food and shelter for the storm.

Gajeel just snorted, though it was one of amusement, "You sure you're up to sleepin' in my bed this long?" He teased.

His bed was huge. Not quite big enough for him to curl up on in dragon form anymore. Not since he'd hit his main growth. But still more than enough to sleep a dozen people comfortably.

More than enough space for her to sleep without either of them bumping into each other during the night. Which was a pity in his mind since he kind of missed curling up with others in a nest of dragons, but Levy wouldn't understand that impulse and would probably think he was a pervert trying to molest her or something.

He might not care about that particularly, but the enforced confinement would probably make that kind of misunderstanding a problem.

That wouldn't stop him from teasing her though.

Levy blushed and puffed out her cheeks at him, something he found hilariously adorable, "As long as you keep your hands to yourself." She huffed primly.

"Gihi! Trust me shrimp... you'd know if I was interested." He smirked and got up, tightening his grip on his pelt, "Life's gonna get real borin' real quick without anything to do except look at each other. I'm goin' to get some stuff out."

He stomped off without another word to slip into the back and grab a few books and a couple games. Nothing too fancy or she'd suspect something weird going on, but his hoard was big enough he had a little of everything.

He just hoped she didn't follow him into the hollowed out, hidden area where he kept his shinier treasures. That would be problematic.

He returned soon, much to his pleasure finding she hadn't moved much since he left her there. Slowly he made his way back up with a few thick books for them to read along with several games.

Although he wasn't too up to date with current human life as far as hobbies and the like went, he didn't think it would stand out too much. It wasn't like most humans would ever even notice something was amiss.

However he was not counting on Levy being an unusual human.

She took one look at the books under his arm and he watched her entire being light up in seconds.

"Oh my goodness!" She gushed, reaching out with eager fingers to grasp at the offered book.

"I haven't seen a book this old in ages! Where did you manage to get something like this?" She gasped, running a careful hand over its dusty cover.

Gajeel nearly swallowed his tongue in alarm.

Of course the _one_ human who stumbled into his hoard would have the eye to tell apart one books edition from another. He landed himself a reader.

"Uh, I'm a collector," Gajeel grunted.

That was one way of saying it.

"All the way out here?" Levy asked in surprise, "I would've thought it would be harder to find rare books like this out here."

Suspicion began forming in her mind, but before it could truly take hold Gajeel snorted, "I don't stay out here all the time." He retorted.

He shrugged, "I mine. I hunt. Ain't flashy, but that stuff's worth good jewel in the bigger towns. I usually visit once every three months for stuff I can't get local."

Which... was entirely true.

Unlike that Salamander, he didn't really have a problem with dealing fair with the humans in his territory. He didn't want to live with them particularly, but he could handle working with them when they had things he didn't. And if living peacefully meant not robbing them then so be it.

It wasn't like he had a hard time collecting treasure from bandits or other human scum.

Levy blinked as she processed that perfectly reasonable explanation.

Gajeel was a big man. Carrying enough stuff down off the mountain to do what he said probably wasn't a big deal for him. And he was strong enough he could probably deal with most bandits without any trouble.

She smiled, her tendril of suspicion dissipating as fast as it had come, "Well, shall we read it together?" She asked hopefully, not wanting to just hog the book from him.

Part of her wanted to go find the other books in his collection, but she contained the urge. It was enough that he was willing to share a few with her as it was.

Gajeel gave her a curious look, a little surprised the little human actually knew what sharing was. He hadn't thought any of them really knew how to do it.

"Sure thing shrimp," He growled out a grinding laugh as he dropped down on the bedding. He sprawled out onto his back, arms dropping behind his head and his eyes fixating on her.

"You might as well kick us off," it wasn't hard for him to think of how staying in bed all day and reading a book became a strange and comfortable idea.

Levy piled up a mountain of furs, blankets and cushions, edging in daringly close to him.

He was surprised at first at how she was drawing in so close to him, but then realized she was trying to share the open book between them. She curled onto her side, propping it up on her turned knees.

"You ready Gajeel?" she asked, a teasing lilt to her voice, "I'll read nice and slow just for you!"

"That so?" Gajeel snorted and hulked down next to her tiny form to see the book. His shadow enveloped her small frame, blanketing her from the light of the fire.

"Then if you're such a fast reader, then why don't you read it aloud?" he fisted his fingers into a blanket and dragged it up to his chin.

Levy blushed a bit at the sudden proximity, and the awareness of just how much bigger than her Gajeel actually was. He was practically curled around her and he hadn't even touched her!

Surprisingly though, the thought didn't bother her. It was warm and cozy, and she found herself relaxing into the blanket nest they'd made.

She turned her attention to the book, "Once, long ago when the stars were young, and the spirits freely roamed the world..."

She quickly lost herself to the wonder of the story, a story she somehow hadn't heard before, as she read aloud. It was wonderfully intoxicating. A set of stories about the celestial spirits when they were young. She hadn't thought any existed outside the realm itself, but here they were. And it was clear that the author had quite a bit of exasperated affection for them.

It made her feel like she was truly there and watching their ridiculous antics face to face.

She was so absorbed, in fact, that she nearly forgot about Gajeel's presence as she passionately read each line. It wasn't until she coughed a little, her throat dry and feeling like sandpaper, that she realized just how long she'd talked.

That was when she also realized that Gajeel was no longer wrapped around her. In fact, he was crouched by the fire pit with a pot that smelled like... oh it was mulled wine!

"C'mon over here and grab a cup shrimp." Gajeel smirked in amusement, "You talked yourself hoarse."

Levy carefully marked their place in the book and eagerly slid out of the bed. She wrapped one of the blankets around herself, a sudden chill to the air telling her the sun was no longer up.

It explained why Gajeel was also ensuring the fire wouldn't go out.

The cave was still warm enough, but Levy gladly sat herself down next to Gajeel to steal as much as his body heat as he would allow without actually touching him.

"Thank you," she smiled at him, accepting the cup and taking a refreshing drink. Her throat immediately felt better and she sighed in relief.

"Oh that's great Gajeel," Levy smiled at him, "Did you make this yourself?"

"Nah, traded for it," Gajeel replied, but looked rather smug, "It's a pain to make, but whenever I do it, it comes out even better!"

Levy laughed. A soft, tinkling sound that caused Gajeel's throat to tighten with strange emotion.

"Is that so? I would love to try it some day," Levy teased.

Gajeel barked out a laugh of his own before his stomach snarled angrily at him, interrupting their conversation.

"I guess we better put the story on hold for a second and heat up some of the soup from last night, eh Levy?"

-::-

Levy slowly blinked her eyes open as light filtered in from the outside, and whined softly at the intrusion. She and Gajeel had stayed up late the night before playing game after game of cribbage and talking.

And drinking his mulled wine as her aching head attested to.

It had been a lot of fun actually. The wild mountain man had already proved he wasn't nearly as ignorant as his appearance would suggest. But last night they'd filled the air with debates on philosophy, life, and several other topics. It had been wonderful.

She'd never met a man who was able to challenge her. To make her think and formulate arguments. Most people, even in the guild, just sort of stared at her uncomprehendingly when she spoke. Admittedly, Gajeel did that too when she got into the more obscure parts of language, but when she kept it in layman's terms he was surprisingly articulate. There was something _old_ about the way he spoke sometimes, which was something she had only seen in very aged wizards.

She shifted a bit on her pillow, trying to hide from the light for a little longer, only to get a nudge from it.

"Oy, Shrimp!" Gajeel's voice grumbled oddly close to her, "Either stop squirmin' or let go so I can get the hangover stuff."

He sounded less surly than she'd expected, but she was kind of a lightweight with alcohol anyway, so she probably shouldn't be surprised. And why was he so close to her ear?

She raised her head and yelped a bit when she realized her 'pillow' was Gajeel himself.

Levy lifted herself off his firm chest, arms getting caught in furs and blankets as she moved to get off Gajeel in a hurry. Her cheeks flushed as she stared down at his smirking face, just an inch away from her own.

"Oh my god I am so sorry!" Levy breathed out in a rush, pushing herself all the way to the edge of the bed until she toppled off it with a new shriek.

He scooted over after her, watching with only vague interest around the edge of the bed.

"You alright there shrimp?" Gajeel cackled, giving Levy a smug look. Although now that she was looking more carefully, he was squinting a bit against the harsh light of the day.

He slid out of the covers after her. Bare feet fell on the stone floor near Levy, and her eyes caught sight of the scars running along his calves, inching up his thighs.

Some were thick and shiny, others narrow and tan against his darker skin. Each one disappeared underneath the tied pants he wore, only occasionally visible through a hole that needed mending.

The scars across his right forearm were more visible, twisting around his wrist in a serpentine scrawl.

She hadn't asked him how he got them before, but she remembered seeing some of the wild cats out behind the back of the guild supporting similar scrapes and cuts. The ones that fought other toms for a patch of land behind the building in hopes of getting the best scraps.

Levy didn't say anything, distracted by his scars as she was, until he was standing over her, a slightly puzzled and mildly concerned expression on his face, "Shrimp?"

Levy jolted a little and blushed brightly as she realized she'd been caught staring, "Uh, sorry. Yes, I'm fine!" She exclaimed and tried to scramble to her feet only to get tangled up in the blanket she'd taken with her and trip.

Gajeel's arms shot out and wrapped around her before she could do more than start to lose her balance, and she felt a fresh flush work over her cheeks as she found herself pressed against his hard chest.

It was... nice.

It was really nice.

And he was warm, the cold air not having done anything to affect his warmth at all. Which probably explained how he'd become her pillow. Winter tended to leave her chattering and trying to bury herself under piles of blankets. Blizzards were even worse.

"Thanks." She murmured, looking up to give him a small smile, only to find him staring at her with an odd expression on his face. Like he couldn't quite figure something out, but was intrigued by it.

However, after a moment he shook his head and gently plucked her out of the blanket tangle before setting her steady on her feet, "Better get dressed before you catch somethin'." He grunted, "I'll get breakfast goin'."

The cold didn't bother him like it did her, and he needed a moment to gather his scattered wits anyway.

He'd...felt something. When he was holding her he'd felt something completely unexpected, but easily identifiable. He just wasn't sure how he felt about feeling it for the little slip of a woman he'd just let go.

It wasn't right to feel the way he did for a human. Gajeel wasn't likely to make the mistake of attacking humans, but he also wasn't fool enough to befriend them.

He grit his teeth and closed his eyes as he left the confused looking Levy behind.

He was born a human and raised as a dragon, following alongside Metallicana as they allied with the nest of the badlands in their fight with Igneel against the Black Wizard. So many things happened then.

He saw many human wizards at Fairy Tail, and even ran into the little dragon, Salamander at the time.

Despite how evil the fire dragon had become over the years, mercilessly destroying everything in his path, End hadn't been so bad then. He had been just a curious hatchling that loved his father and wanted to protect everyone.

But Gajeel knew what the humans, afraid of a dragon's power, were capable of doing. Twisting someone around, hurting his kin, and tormenting those who didn't do anything wrong. Gajeel protected his territory and eve traded with the humans in his lands, but he remained a respectful distance from them. Too many times had he found humans stumbling into his nest to try and steal his gold.

He was a fledgling in the Celestial War. A teenager. Old enough to fight on his own, but not yet old enough to lead. He was no stranger to the hard glares and suspicious snarls given to him by others.

Sometimes he wondered if he had perhaps attempted to help the little demon-hatchling, End, the badlands never would have been set aflame.

So he knew _all_ about caution.

Especially around humans.

Was it really okay to feel such a thing for one?

Attraction. So small a word, but the implications were deadly. With Levy's sweet smile and fragile touch, she sent a rush of warmth into his heart that spread through his chest and settled in his gut.

"So! What's for breakfast?" Levy's cheerful voice interrupted his musings. He reflexively jerked to look up at her, and felt his heart tumble and thump traitorously again. This was not good.

He shoved the thought ruthlessly aside and flashed her a fangy grin so she wouldn't notice his pause. He'd noticed she was entirely too sharp eyed for his own good.

"Oatmeal." He rumbled, gesturing to the bubbling pot, "Add your own toppin's."

Levy smiled, and peered around him to find a surprising selection for toppings. It seemed Gajeel wasn't averse to luxuries when he could get them. Though she had to wonder how he could afford some of them.

Still, any man who could collect as many furs as she'd seen around here had to be and accomplished hunter. And she knew furs could fetch a very nice price. He'd also said something about mining, so for all she knew he had a gold mine out here.

Which... would explain a lot actually.

"Thanks!" She grinned as she grabbed a bowl and seasoned it, "Mmmmmm..."

That was almost as good as Mira's cooking when the guild was hungover. Certainly it was doing wonders for the lingering aches.

Gajeel smirked and grabbed his own bowl as he settled across from her, the heat in his gut tightening further as he watched her eat.

He was definitely in trouble.

Maybe... maybe it would help if he found out her attitudes about dragons?

There wasn't much that was a bigger mood killer for him than prejudice after all.

Deciding that was the best course of action, he stretched his legs out to get comfortable. Sighing quietly, he dragged his hand over his face.

Levy blinked at him curiously and poked a finger into his side, drawing a grunt from him.

"What's that face for?" She asked, but was unable to hide her smug look, "Don't tell me you're nursing a hangover too?"

Gajeel snorted, "You wish! I'm made out of hardier stuff than whatever lightweight material you are."

Ignoring her huffy 'hey!' he dropped his spoon into a the oatmeal and began to shovel it into his mouth.

"Still, makes me curious what a feather like you was doin' so deep in dragon territory," He went for a casual air, but his eyes peered intently on Levy.

She looked surprised, her spoon scooped around her lips. Levy swallowed and pulled it free with a wet pop that made something in Gajeel's stomach coil even tighter than before.

"I thought over the river was the badlands?" Levy asked him, her eyes curious, but seeming without fear.

Gajeel nodded, "sure. But there's another dragon that lives in these parts. The dragon of Black Steel."

Comprehension seemed to work over her face at that and she snapped her fingers.

"Oh that's right! There's another dragon around these parts!" Levy didn't look too concerned, "The villagers near the southern border say he's nice, and he keeps the Badland dragons out of their territory."

"I wonder what he's like," Levy looked thoughtful, but oblivious to the gaping expression on Gajeel's face.

That... was about the last thing Gajeel had ever expected to hear.

They said he was _nice_? And she was wondering what he was like? He blinked at her, trying to wrap his brain around the idea that his humans seemed to like him and Levy was actually curious about him.

He blinked at Levy in surprise, "You want to meet him?" He asked incredulously, "Why? Aren't you worried he'll eat you or somethin'?"

Levy blinked back at him, surprised by the thought, "No. Not really." She replied, "I mean... if he was a human eater he would be preying on the villages in his territory instead of protecting them." She shrugged, "So odds are he's not one of those. And if he's not one of those then it would be safe enough to meet him."

Gajeel couldn't really argue with that.

And the knowledge that she wasn't automatically fearful and repulsed by the thought of him warmed his gut further.

It had been a long time since he'd had anyone who could, or would, accept him around. Even in part. It was nice, and he wanted to know more. More about her and her interesting views.

Maybe, just maybe, she would turn out to be the exception that proves the rule. And maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Though he wasn't going to tell her the truth about himself. Not yet. He wanted to get to know her first.

"Have you seen the dragon before?" Levy asked him, drawing his attention back to her. A gentle touch fell to his wrist, light fingers caressing one of the scars across his forearms.

He nearly jolted out of his skin at the soft touch.

"Is that how you got these?" Her voice was low, questioning as they looked at him.

Gajeel's eyes skipped down to where Levy's gaze was, drawing over the jagged scars decorating his arm. They littered his body like a patchwork quilt. Each scar a stitch in a memory better left forgotten.

Still, she asked, and he found himself wanting to answer.

He swallowed and cleared his throat, "Nah. Not that dragon at least." He shrugged.

Gajeel was unsure how to tell her how he got these scars. It was true, he had gotten them from a dragon. But not in his human form. If he had, he would have surely lost the arm.

"That's a story for a different time though. Black Steel ain't going to hurt either of us, so ya don't halfta worry about that," he settled on his final decision.

To just not talk about it.

And Levy, while her eyes burned with curiosity, gratefully did not seem as if she was going to pursue the question.

Gajeel allowed himself to relax under Levy's touch and gently covered Levy's hand with his own, trapping it lightly against his arm. His father would've laughed himself silly over the tender display, and anyone who knew him would've probably gone into shock given how he usually was. But he just couldn't help it.

Levy _was_ different.

She didn't hate dragons. She might hate what they did to her people, and he couldn't fault her for that, but she didn't hate dragons as a whole because of it. He'd been able to read between the lines on _that_ at least.

And while she didn't know what he was, and so could not decide for herself about him, the fact that she didn't indiscriminately hate was enough for him.

"You're somethin' different Levy." He rumbled.

Levy blushed at the soft, for him, compliment. She might not know everything about him, but she knew tenderness wasn't something Gajeel really _did_. Probably because he wasn't used to being around people.

So the fact he was making the attempt at all, however clumsy, made her smile, "Thanks Gajeel."

She tried not to think about how he was practically holding her hand now, but lost the ability to when he began gently caressing the back of it. Did he even know what he was doing?

She wasn't sure, but the wicked glint in his eyes told her he probably did. And he was enjoying it.

Levy swallowed, but did not back down. In fact she shyly gripped his hand firmer in return, leaning against his shoulder for security.

She could have sworn she heard him audibly _swallow_ at her bold move, tensing up for a brief second before completely relaxing against her.

She grinned back at him as they fell into comfortable silence. Nursing her hangover, Levy was content to enjoy the simple quiet by the fire. It was almost soothing to just exist as they were.

* * *

 _ **Part two will appear soonish! We have it written but it needs to be edited! Until then! See ya!**_


	2. Goodbye

_**WARNING: HERE THERE BE SMUT! THE BEGINNING AND END OF THE SMUT WILL BE MARKED WITH *** PLEASE TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO READ IT.**_

The days wore on, and whatever had caused the spark between the dragon and mage only seemed to grow.

Levy found herself looking after Gajeel more and more, her eyes seeking him out whenever she could.

But being trapped as they were together in the cave, tensions were beginning to run high. And it wouldn't be long before either one of them snapped.

Levy in particular was finding it hard to stop thinking about the rough man. More than once she had woken up in his arms, warm in the chilly morning, but far too comfortable to work enough enthusiasm up to move away from him.

And Gajeel never complained.

His strong arm was always firm around her, gentle but secure. It meant often times he was sleeping on his back, snoring softly into Levy's ear.

At first it bothered her, but now it was a calming noise. His quiet grunts as they slept soothed her.

It was on one such morning that Levy woke up to find that for a change Gajeel wasn't on his back with his arms wrapped around her, and his soft snores vibrating in her ear. Rather, he was still snoring gently, but he was wrapped firmly around her and growling softly in his sleep. ***

And from the large ridge digging into her backside it wasn't hard to figure out what was on Gajeel's sleeping mind.

The question was... what to do about it?

She knew he could be a light sleeper, so waking him probably wouldn't be difficult, but would probably embarrass him tremendously and add another layer of awkward to the tension between them.

Assuming she let it of course.

There was no denying she wanted him. As she'd gotten to know him more she'd felt her attraction to him skyrocket.

He was completely unlike any other man she'd ever met, and she was drawn to him in ways she couldn't fully explain.

Still, it didn't seem right to use this to spark things between them.

However, before she could think of a way to figure out the situation, one of his hands roamed over her hip and dragged between her legs. It was over her clothes, but that didn't matter as he came in contact with her core, and she couldn't help the sharp gasp of pleasure that escaped her.

It was a gasp that instantly woke him.

Levy swallowed tightly, feeling his breath blowing soft puffs against the back of her neck. She froze, knowing he was beginning to orient himself.

And by the way he was going rigid behind her, realization was beginning to dawn over him.

Levy made up her mind the split second she felt his sharp, intake of breath and his arm begin to jerk, as if to rip away from her.

She grabbed a hold of his forearm, fingers sliding against the cool metal studs that decorated his skin. They chilled her flushed skin, but she drew him closer.

"Levy...?" He growled against her ear, his voice thick from disuse, both rough and growling against her.

Swallowing, Levy turned, her cheeks warm as she tried to ignore the flare of heat stirring between her thighs.

"Gajeel," Levy reached a hand up, boldness surprising her. She brushed heavy locks of unruly hair from his face, fingers skating across his cheekbones, "kiss me?"

There was something between them. She wasn't a fool to it. Neither was he. But Levy wasn't going to waste time any longer by having him pull away now.

Red eyes, so sharp and intense met hers, each one cutting into her as deeply as a blade.

"Gihi, why didn't you say so Levy?" He rumbled, just as Levy was beginning to feel nervous. His hand cupped the side of her head, his fingers sliding across the side of her neck as his lips found hers.

The kiss robbed Levy of all the air in her lungs. And Gajeel was on her, his mouth greedy and his weight firm and protective. It sent dizzying sparks of pleasure rushing through her, and Levy's hand splayed out flat across his chest. She ached to drag him closer, so she slid her leg around his hips, pulling him towards her.

It made the shocking effect of crashing their hips together, something neither had been expecting, that much more intense as Gajeel's flagging erection returned in full force upon contact with Levy's clothed core. Quiet groans escaped them both, gasping into one another's mouth.

"Levy..." Gajeel growled hotly, grinding his hips into Levy's core as he tore his lips away from hers and began trailing his lips down her neck.

He'd been aching for this for days. Since that morning they first woke up snuggled together it had grown. As he'd gotten to know more about her he'd noticed more about her. She was no longer a random human that happened to be pretty. She was Levy.

She had a beautiful laugh and smile. She could talk circles around him about books. She was sweet, and kind, and didn't have a prejudiced bone in her body. She was like a finely cut gem sparkling and magnifying the light around her into something truly breathtaking.

And conversely, it was why he'd kept his hands off her despite his growing desire. He knew he wasn't light enough to deserve to touch that shining brightness.

Except, for some reason, it seemed she wanted him to. And he was too much a dragon to ever be able to resist grasping a treasure that was practically placing itself in his hands.

All dragons were greedy bastards after all. It came with the territory.

He chuckled softly when she gasped and arched against him, "Hungry are ya?" He rumbled, wondering just when the last time she'd done this was if she was reacting this passionately.

He ran his hands over her sides and up to caress her chest when he suddenly paused as that thought sank in, "Levy... you ever done this before?"

Not that such a thing would stop him. He wouldn't do that unless she told him to. But he would certainly slow down to something a lot more gentle if she hadn't.

Levy's gave him a confused, hazy look. Incomprehension shone over her face for a moment, not understanding what he had meant. Done what?

His large hand, warm against her shirt was distracting, and it took every scrap of brainpower she had left to realize he was asking her if she was a virgin or not.

No, of course she wasn't. She was well over a hundred years old. But Gajeel had no idea she was a wizard, and thus did not know of her long lifespan.

She shook her head breathlessly and snagged her fingers around his hand.

Still, her heart was warmed that he even asked and showed the concern.

Sweet or not though, she wasn't interested in supplying more of a response than what it took to grasp him around the neck and drag their mouths together in a clash of hungry lips.

His breath rasped into her mouth, and she swiftly stole his air.

Fingers curled into his long locks, her leg looping more securely around his waist.

"What do you think?" Levy teased into his ear, a breathy groan escaping her at the sudden feel of his hips grinding into hers.

"I think you're playing with fire Levy," He growled back, but choked off at the sudden, mischievous nip to his tender ear.

So that was how she wanted it huh?

He grinned wickedly at her and wasted no time in pulling her into another, breathless, kiss while his hands went to work pulling her clothes off until she was bare before him.

He pulled back once she was and took a moment to just drink in the beautiful sight of her sprawled out amongst the furs and pillows of his bed. She was tiny and delicate and looked as if she belonged there. A part of his hoard.

The thought made his gut tighten even more as he pulled back enough to pull open his pants, giving her a view of what was to come.

Levy's eyes widened as she got a good look at Gajeel's size. She felt herself quiver excitedly in anticipation, and the only reason she didn't get up to take a taste was because the moment he was bare, giving her a magnificent view of his whole body, he crawled back over her and sank back down on her.

She cried out into his mouth as he shifted so he was rubbing eagerly against her slit. Gods that was good! She grabbed hold of his shoulders and rocked eagerly with him, her head falling back as the pleasure in her built.

"Gajeel!" She panted, nearly turning it into a scream when his calloused hands moved over her skin. He was rough, and showed every inch of his life on his body, and she did not think she'd ever felt anything so wonderful.

Her back bowed, rushing forward and ebbing back like a wave under his exploratory touches. Crimson eyes watched her, a ravenous sort of focus on his face that brought heat boiling through her and simmering into an inferno.

She ached with every slow gyration of Gajeel's hips pressed against her slit, her heart throbbed in time with the blood rushing between her thighs, and her hands made their way around his shoulders.

His hands canvassed out her body, large, rough and firm. Levy sank trustingly into his strength, feeling completely at peace with where she was.

But with every flick of his tongue, or grind of his hips, the fire rushed hotter through her veins until she was left breathless and whimpering.

"Pl-please Gajeel!" she managed to cry out after another torturous slide. Levy felt rather than saw his soft laughter, huffing hot breath against her neck.

But she knew he was affected by this too when he pulled away, the tightness behind his eyes indicative of how far his pleasure was making his patience stretch.

"Sure thing," Gajeel praised her with his lips, capturing her mouth again as he pushed into her, hips driving him forward as his tip slid through her folds.

A strangled gasp tore from her throat, one that was swallowed greedily by a growling Gajeel.

Fingers digging into his muscular back, Levy's chest heaved at the feeling of being so deliciously full. She felt a slight burn at his entrance, but it dissolved into a hazy pleasure that had her lifting her hips closer to his in frustration.

Gajeel growled lowly in pleasure as he slid slowly into her tight heat. Virgin or not he could tell she'd either gone without for too long or had never had anyone as big as he was.

The thought pleased him.

He rocked his hips slightly, trying hard not to whimper at the sensation of her gripping and caressing him so fully, and was rewarded with a gasp from her and her desperately trying to rock back against him.

That was all the invitation he needed as he grabbed hold of her and pulled back only to thrust sharply back in. A pleasure filled scream erupted from her while stars exploded behind his eyes, and suddenly whatever restraint either of them had was gone.

They moved and rocked and thrust together, desperately pulling and pushing as their pleasure overwhelmed them. Neither could get enough of the other, and that wild need was communicated in every touch and caress. Every scrape of her nails against his skin, and every scream she uttered when he rubbed at her clit made the need surge even more.

The storm built, howling between them every bit as loudly as the blizzard that had trapped them, until suddenly everything exploded and both screamed and roared for the other as pleasure unlike any either had ever known tore through them in endless golden waves.

They both came down from their high, resting in one another's arms as they fought to catch their breath. Levy gasped breathlessly, curling limply into Gajeel's arms.

As they regained their senses, Levy became aware once again of the biting cold, shielded only by Gajeel's heat.

That, and the mess they made. ***

She curled her fingers into the locks of hair that had fallen to frame his face. A sleepy smile flashing over her face.

"Come on," She grinned at him, "Lets go take a visit to the hotspring." She invited.

Gajeel let out a quiet laugh in return and nodded. His thumb rubbed a small circle in her hip.

"Come on shortstuff," Gajeel responded with an affirmative smirk, his arm looping around Levy's waist.

She found herself being lifted, and with a surprised shriek from her - accompanying Gajeel's low laugh, he marched off towards the hot springs.

-::-

The next few days found them in similar situations. Alternating between what they normally did with games, books, or just talking, to wasting away the whole day in bed.

Until at the end of the third week together, Gajeel came back down from his birds eye view with a strange expression on his face.

"Blizzard's cleared up," He said.

Levy stared at him for a moment as she processed that information and gasped, "It is?"

The momentary elation that news brought though faded almost instantly in the face of what that reality meant. The blizzard was over. They might have another two or three days, max, while they dug out the entrance, but their time together was coming to an end.

And suddenly she didn't want it to.

She'd enjoyed her time with Gajeel tremendously. The man was much more than he seemed on the surface, and while he could be exasperating, and even a jerk, she'd learned how big his heart really was.

She didn't want to leave him alone in this cave and the snow again.

Something of her conflict must've shown on her face because he shook his head and gave her a toothy grin, "C'mon now Shrimp." He half scolded half teased gently, "We knew this was comin'."

Though now that the moment had arrived he was reluctant to part with her. She'd become his most precious treasure in the short time she was here, and he desperately wanted to hoard her away with all his other treasures.

But he knew he couldn't.

She had friends, family, who would no doubt be worried about her. A whole nest of them at that guild of hers. He couldn't keep her from them. No matter how much he wanted to.

He walked over to her and dropped his hands on her shoulders, "Your family's gotta be worried sick about you." He rumbled softly, "An' your two friends. We can't keep 'em waitin'."

He stared down at her, his expression kind despite the ache in his chest, "It'll take a couple days to clear the entrance. An' then I'll help ya get to the nearest village big enough to help you get home."

Levy looked up at the wild man, her heart twisting with dismay at the thought of leaving him in his lonely cave. No matter how spacious it was, that didn't do anything to halt the lack of company he had. Or how much she would miss him.

"Okay," she mumbled, reluctance penetrating her tone and making it clear she wasn't happy about the arrangements. However she could think of no reason to stay. None aside from him of course.

And that just wasn't an option.

He was right.

Levy had to return to Fairy Tail.

She leaned against his thick arm, her slender one looping around his forearm as her legs tucked up under her body.

She didn't say it, but unspoken were the silent words of how much she would miss him. Her odd, grumpy savior.

"Alright come on, let's go clear out some snow," Levy sighed, "It's not going to move itself."

Sure, she could have used magic to get it done in a second, but the fact was she didn't want to.

Gajeel didn't know she used magic. And now wasn't the time to tell him. Especially when it would shorten what little time they still had together.

Gajeel sighed and bent down to pull her into a passionate kiss. He would miss her too. And except for the snow shoveling, he was determined to make her remaining time here as unforgettable as possible.

He pulled away reluctantly, aware that if he wasn't careful he would lose himself in her and she would never leave. Admittedly, that was a scenario he wasn't against, but he wasn't going to be the one responsible for keeping her away from her nest. A nest that loved and wanted her.

He was a bastard, but he wasn't that kind of bastard at least.

So he headed to the back and came out with a large snow shovel he'd made with the idea of selling in town, "I'll take care of this." He rumbled and flashed her a grin, "Toothpick like you'd just get swallowed up out there right now."

His grin turned into a smirk when she huffed and crossed her arms, but that didn't stop him from heading to the entrance and, carefully, opening a space wide enough he could get out.

He was not about to have more snow inside his cave than was necessary while he was in his human form.

"Have some of the cider hot for when I get back?" He asked over his shoulder.

"If I don't drink it all," Levy challenged back at him, still pouting over being called a toothpick.

Gajeel just laughed, knowing she would leave him plenty.

And Levy watched with a fond smile as he disappeared into the white landscape.

-::-

Before Levy knew it, the days they had left together were gone, and she was shouldering a pack of leather and fur. Gajeel actually picked her up by it once to adjust the straps, nearly pissing himself with laughter when he realized he had accidentally lifted Levy too.

She was glad to see him laughing. Because as they got to leave, the smiles came less frequently.

There wasn't a teary goodbye when Gajeel closed up his cave behind them and took her hand as they both made their way through the snowy wilderness.

Occasionally she had to walk behind him while Gajeel simply plowed through entire snowdrifts like they were butter. It astounded her whenever she saw him cut through ice and snow like that, but she wasn't about to complain.

Especially since she still remembered when she first arrived, how she had fallen up to her neck in a ditch.

It was a wonder she hadn't gotten frostbite from that.

Gajeel seemed to think along the same lines as he escorted her all the way down to the local village, but made no attempt to actually enter the town.

"So this is where we part?" Levy asked, not knowing why he was hesitant to entering the town, but realizing there was probably a reason why he lived by himself, alone in the mountains.

"Yeah shrimp, this is where we part ways," Gajeel took a step towards her, not wanting one of the villagers to catch sight of him and spill the beans to Levy who - or rather what, he was.

"There's a stage coach that travels along the mountain road. It'll take you to a station where you can get where you need to go," He looked down at the diminutive woman, his heart pinging as she looked at him with large, brown eyes.

Suddenly, Levy's arms wrapped tightly around him, squeezing his middle as her entire front pressed against his chest.

His hands settled on her shoulders and slowly he returned the embrace.

"Thank you Gajeel," Levy's wet voice came from his shirt, "goodbye."

"See ya shrimp," Gajeel replied, just as quiet as the falling snow.

He watched as she pulled reluctantly away from him and turned to head into the village. It tore at his heart to watch her go, and he nearly lost it when she turned back to look at him. It was all he could do to stay where he was and wave back at her before she disappeared from sight.

Once she had he closed his eyes and allowed the pain he'd been holding back wash over him. It was like when he'd lost Metalicana, and he choked a little as a sob built up in his throat.

He suddenly didn't want to be human.

He didn't want to feel this hurt, even though he knew from experience that transforming didn't really dull it once it was already there.

He turned and ran blindly back the way he'd come, trusting his instincts and his familiarity with his territory to keep him surefooted. He couldn't outrun the pain either. He knew that too, but he firmly held in his desire to roar anyway. Levy was still around. She would know if a dragon suddenly appeared where she'd left him.

Thankfully, the mountains and forest were good at concealing, so it didn't take him long before his skin covered in scales, and broad metal wings erupted from his back.

His heart clenched more as the transformation took hold and he launched himself into the air, twisting and flying around his mountain until he was fully changed.

He would give Levy this. A glimpse of the dragon she'd so admired in their conversations.

He soared around until the village was below him and landed heavily on a rock perch, clinging to the side of the mountain with his claws, and let out a bellowing roar. One that poured all of his heartfelt misery into it.

He could see the villagers below, gathering to look up at him, and caught a glimpse of a blue head that cut into him even in this form, and he roared again.

Levy stared up at the shining, metal dragon circling overhead, her eyes wide at such a magnificent sight. Black Steel was truly breathtaking. The villagers looked a little worried, but Levy smiled. She knew after all her conversations with Gajeel that he wouldn't hurt them.

Her hands went up to her mouth, smiling a little around the tears stinging at the backs of her eyes at the thought of those conversations. She missed Gajeel already.

But she wondered if perhaps they were sharing this same sight now.

Feeling a little better, Levy purchased a ticket for her trip back home.

And back to the territory with another dragon. One who was not so nice as this one.

Shooting the glittering dragon one last look, Levy moved into the stagecoach, her face pressing against the window to watch Black Steel twist through the air.

It was time to say goodbye.

While Levy was silently saying her goodbye, Gajeel was watching her coach vanish into the distance mournfully. He stayed on his perch above the village, ignoring the stares and pointing from the villagers, as he watched her travel out of his life and wondered, not for the first time, why it hurt so much to see her go.

She wasn't magical or anything. She was a short lived mortal like the ones below him. So why did it hurt so much? She shouldn't be any different from any other mortal. Except... she was.

She was bright, and shining, and precious. She didn't hate anyone. Least of all for stupid reasons. Sure she had a temper, but he liked her sass. It looked good on her.

He stared after her for a good long time, long after she was out of sight, before reluctantly letting go of the side of the mountain and flapping back to his lair.

He didn't much feel like staying in his dragon form once he got there, so he changed down and went inside.

It was an action that actually made his eyes sting.

Her scent was _everywhere_.

It had permeated his lair in the time she'd been here. He could smell her personal scent of old paper, ink, and leather. And he could smell the lingering scent of their time together.

It made the pain in his heart worse as he clumped over to the bed and sat down heavily on it where her scent was strongest. Why did he feel this way? He didn't understand. It shouldn't hurt this much.

He caught a glimpse of orange and reached over to gently tug out what turned out to be her bandanna. She'd forgotten it.

He curled it gently into his hands, and felt the threatening tears spill over. Crying. He was crying for her. He hadn't done that for anyone except Metalicana.

It was stupid, and he was angry at himself for even doing it. Scrubbing roughly at his eyes, he resolved himself to put away the scrap of fabric and forget about it.

But that didn't change the fact his hoard now suddenly felt much too large and lonely.

That didn't stop him from stuffing the bandanna under his furs though, resolute in his desire to forget it.

And her.

Dragons like himself weren't meant to have nests. No matter how sweet Levy had been, that didn't change the fact they didn't belong in one another's worlds.

But if their paths were ever to cross again, Gajeel knew he would take his chance with both hands.

The thought carried him over the next few nights. Even as Levy's scent began to fade from his cave, Gajeel stubbornly held onto his belief this was for the best.

Until her scent was gone.

Save for that single piece of fabric, tucked away under his pillow like his most precious of treasures.

He tried to ignore it. To pretend he wasn't thinking about it under his pillow. But it loomed more and more on his mind and wouldn't let him think about anything else. He couldn't even read or play games without thinking of Levy sharing those moments with him.

Not that he really had the energy to anyway.

He'd always been somewhat lethargic in winter, but since she'd gone he'd found fewer and fewer reasons to get up out of bed. Some days he didn't really bother trying.

He always did eventually, but he went through the motions without putting any real enthusiasm behind them. Because her face, the face he was resolved to not think about anymore, kept floating before his eyes.

He sighed gustily as he rolled over and his hand brushed the scrap of fabric. He hesitated and closed his fingers gently around it, drawing it out almost reluctantly.

He just wanted to catch a whiff of her scent one more time. That was all.

Except it wasn't, and the sight of it brought all of the memories he'd been trying to repress rushing to the fore again. His heart thumped as he thought about Levy and her smile and the time they'd shared, and it slowly dawned on him what was wrong with him.

He didn't miss her because he kind of liked her and she was arguably the closest thing to a friend he'd had in centuries. He missed her, and his heart thumped and lightened at the thought of her, because he _loved_ her.

It was a strange feeling. He wasn't used to feeling it much, and it had never been directed at a woman like this, but he knew what it was. He felt it for Metalicana, even when he was being annoying, and the feeling had not died with his father.

Gripped by the sudden urge to see her and utterly convinced he had made some kind of mistake, Gajeel surged to his feet, the bandanna tight in his hand.

He twisted it around his forehead to keep Levy's fading scent close and made his way out of his cave.

Gajeel didn't know how long it would take to find her. In fact, he cursed himself for never finding out where she lived, or even her last name.

But he could let her scent guide him at least part of the way.

Metal scales erupted across his body, knowing it would take a prayer for him to be able to catch even a hint of her trail. Gajeel had to try.

Like water, his body twisted until wings spilled from his back. Never had he transformed so fluidly before, but he was too busy to pay it real attention.

No instead he was taking to the air, Levy's scent clinging to him as he hunted after her.

The trip wasn't too long, but perhaps it was longer than he thought because of how much time Gajeel spent looking for that breezy wisp that smelled like old books and ink.

Several times he stumbled across old libraries and towns, until finally he caught wind of the _true_ trail.

Crisp parchment, thick inkwells, leather, and something light and flowery.

 _Levy_.

Almost blind, he flapped into warmer climate.

At least until he spotted something that had him hitting his aerial brakes.

A crimson dragon was settled on a thick tree, its canopy burning in an ever present flame. One that was said never to go out.

It was a fire that burned with evil intent and hatred for other living beings. Gajeel wasn't sure if those rumors were true, but there was no denying its magical nature. Not with who was inside the flame. Within it, the dragon was roosting, its large claws digging into the tree for balance.

For the moment, it seemed the other dragon hadn't noticed Gajeel, but he still didn't dare to step even a talon over into the others territory.

It was the Salamander. Zeref's strongest demon, End. The one who had destroyed the Black Mage himself.

He pulled back to a spot safely on his side of the border, but still at the border, uncertain what to do. Levy was somewhere in Salamander's territory, but taking him on was extremely dangerous at best and suicidal at worst.

He'd never fought the fire dragon personally, but he remembered the brat's work in the war. He'd never really approved of the hatchling fighting, for a number of reasons, but there had been no denying that the temperamental runt was very good at it.

And he'd only gotten better over the centuries.

Which meant that attacking would be a straight up gamble for his life.

"You want somethin' Metalhead?" Said fire dragon asked lazily as he looked up at him, a wicked smirk curling his muzzle, "You've been staring." His smirk widened, "Not planning to invade are you?"

Gajeel scowled, disliking the taunting tone, "I was trackin' somethin'." He growled back, "Ran into your territory."

"That so?" Natsu asked, not looking like he cared particularly, and stretched lazily, fanning his wings out fully in what was probably meant to be an intimidation move.

Too bad Gajeel was the larger dragon.

He flapped his own wings, clearly displaying which of them was the larger dragon, and a spark of interest ignited in Natsu's eyes.

Gajeel recognized it and growled, but didn't move. He knew better than to try and take a dragon in their own territory, especially this dragon. Those who underestimated the Salamander tended not to live to make the same mistake twice.

Natsu straightened out, his tail flashing through the flames he rested in. He bared his fangs in the semblance of a snarling smirk, golden eyes burning with challenge.

"You're not leavin,' so I can take that to mean you want into my territory," Natsu smirked, "You waiting for permission? Because you ain't getting it."

"I'm not stepping into your territory either," Gajeel growled, body tensing as he eyed the invisible line between his territory and Natsu's.

Natsu's eyes glittered like golden coins and he dropped down in front of Gajeel, standing on the opposite side of their dividing line.

Between them stretched the neutral territory, this one marked by a path of burned out soil, flattened and stomped into a makeshift line. It was more visible than most boundary lines, which were usually marked by rivers or natural rockfaces.

Natsu had clearly wanted to make sure no one would make a mistake whose territory they would be stepping into.

"Tell you what, Black Steel," Natsu purred, a cruel light in his eyes as he stepped forward into the burned patch of land, "Pin me here and you can snoop around as much as you like."

"Why?" Gajeel growled out through gritted teeth, knowing this was a bit out of the ordinary from normal dragon-laws. Although the two of them weren't the most normal dragons either.

The Salamander's shoulders just shrugged and he dug black claws into the sooty earth.

"You caught me in a good mood, and I'm spoiling for a fight," Natsu purred, "What's the matter? Scared?"

Levy's smiling face flashed before Gajeel's eyes and his eyes narrowed, "You're on!" He snarled, crouching down before leaping at the other dragon at the same time Natsu lunged for him.

The collided in the middle, directly on the border, in a flurry of bites, claws, and kicks. It was a stalemate, but it didn't last for long. Gajeel's size proved the advantage, and while he couldn't quite pin Natsu by his weight alone, he could do something else.

He smirked as he spread his wings and lifted into the sky with Natsu grasped in his claws, "Ready to go flyin' Salamander?" He rumbled at the wriggling, biting, dragon as all four of his limbs shifted into massive metal logs and slammed him back into the ground with enough force to make the ground shake.

"Oh, I'm all fired up now!" Natsu grinned back, flame erupting around him as he wrapped his foreclaws around the logs holding him, "Let's see what you make of this! Fire dragon roar!"

Gajeel's eyes widened and he hastily let go to dodge, but of course that was followed up by Natsu coming after him and slamming into his belly.

"Don't tell me that's all you got!"

"I'm just gettin' started Salamander!"

"Good! I'd hate for this to get boring!" Natsu roared back.

The two dragons fought with an increasing amount of viciousness. There were several times when Gajeel thought he was beaten, but the image of Levy would flash in his head and galvanize him once more.

Natsu for his part looked to be enjoying himself as he fought. Despite being smaller, Natsu was still a drake. And extremely powerful. So it wasn't often he got a challenge.

Still, he managed to twist around Gajeel, his flaming talons making their way around his throat and slamming the other dragon into the ground.

"I win" Natsu hissed through a puff of smoke.

In the back of his throat, Gajeel could see a plume of fire licking away around the inside of his maw. Saliva bubbled out, superheated. They were almost like drops of lava, each one scalding as it came near Gajeel's metal scales.

He fought hard. But he hadn't been able to win. Gajeel just didn't have the magical strength to compete with Natsu like this.

As it was, he struggled to even maintain his dragon transformation.

And now he would die.

Salamander was not known for his mercy after all.

So Gajeel was shocked when suddenly he felt the heat from the fire dragon back off, giving him the room to roll back up, coughing onto his front.

"You're not going to kill me?" Gajeel growled out from around a bruised throat.

"Not worth the effort." Natsu's smugness came off him in a wave. He was already turning around and heading back into his territory.

He shrugged at Gajeel's dumbfounded, but angry look.

Gajeel growled with mingled frustration, relief, and fury, but knew better than to push his luck. It had been a hard fight, but he was running on empty and wounded. As much as he desperately wanted to cross the border and find Levy he couldn't keep fighting Salamander.

It pained him to do it, but he pulled himself out of the crater he'd been in and spread his wings. He glanced back at the border one last time before flapping slowly into the air and flying off.

It pissed him off that he was forced to retreat, but he knew Natsu wouldn't give a damn about his desire to find Levy. The demon dragon was ruthless, and the combination was too much even for a drake like him.

Which meant... he would just have to get stronger.

The thought galvanized him as he gained altitude and angled his flight away from Natsu's territory and towards another. A territory he knew he could cross.

He just hoped it was still there. The sky dragoness was one of the few nomadic dragons around, and her territory tended to change every so often.

He was going to need her help first before his training could begin.

But he _would_ train. And he _would_ get stronger. Levy was waiting. And even if all he got were the last years of her life he was determined he would spend them with her.

Another option simply wasn't acceptable.

* * *

 **AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! The side story of how Natsu met Gajeel and how Gajeel and Levy came together! Thanks to everyone for following along and reading with us!**


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